Here we have the Oscar-winning tale of Sir Thomas More, whose conscience prevented him from approving of Henry VIII's divorce, which eventually led to his conviction on charges of high treason, for which he was beheaded.
Wendy Hiller plays More's wife, Alice, who is utterly devoted to her husband. Thomas and Alice present, in a way, complementary forms of naivete. He is so devoted to his principles that he refuses to believe that anything bad will come of that devotion; even when he's been imprisoned in the Tower, he doesn't seem to realize that death is just around the corner. She, on the other hand, is absolutely clear about the consequences of his behavior, but incapable of understanding why he must stand on his principles.
From the beginning, it's clear that Thomas is right when he describes his wife as "a lion." She is far more ambitious for him than he is, encouraging him to maneuver himself into position to become Chancellor when Cardinal Wolsey dies. She is also capable of great anger; watch how furiously Alice challenges her husband during her visit to the Tower. (That anger's telegraphed in an earlier bit of physical business, when we see Alice taking out her frustration on an innocent piece of embroidery.)
The movie is full of fine acting from Orson Welles, a young John Hurt, Oscar nominee Robert Shaw, and of course, Paul Scofield as Thomas More, who gives a performance so towering that you barely remember anyone else is even in the movie.
Amid all of those stellar performances, Hiller's work doesn't particularly linger in the memory. It's not a performance that leaps at you and demands to be noticed; it's a solid piece of work, certainly, and she's reasonably effective in her big confrontation scenes. Based on the nominees viewed thus far, 1966 was a weak year for supporting actresses; a good, solid piece of work was apparently all it took to land a nomination.
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